The good news for Williams is that head coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear exactly what they are looking for from him on this team, and that is to be a primary, point-of-attack defender, via Benjamin Royer of the Southern California News Group:

Williams said in his early conversations with Lakers coach JJ Redick and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka, they have told him that their focus for him is “first and foremost, being a main defender, point-of-attack defender.”

Standing at 6’9″, Williams has the physical tools and athleticism to defend multiple positions. While he is on the thinner side, he has proven that he can impact the game on that end of the floor. And as for the offensive side, he knows that he just has to do a good job of playing off Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves:

“Obviously Luka (Doncic) and AR (Austin Reaves) are going to be the main primary ball handlers,” Williams said. “So just playing off them, being able to shoot, cut, make plays in transition, stuff like that. They thought it was a great fit for me to be here, and the feeling was mutual.”

Williams’ toolset is undoubtedly an ideal fit on this Lakers team. He is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals. His points and steals were both career-highs as was his 34.3% mark from 3-point range. And while that number is a relatively average one, he should be getting far more wide-open looks playing alongside the Lakers’ star backcourt duo.

Of course, Williams will have to earn his spot in Redick’s rotation and will be competing with players such as Matisse Thybulle and Adou Thiero to be lockdown defensive wings. But the opportunity is there and the Southern California native will be looking to make a big impact for the Lakers in his return home.

Robert Horry interested to see how new-look Lakers will perform

Williams is one of many new faces on this Lakers roster that has been completely remade this offseason and former Lakers player and Spectrum SportsNet analyst Robert Horry is looking forward to seeing how this team looks once the games begin.

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However, some within the franchise are reportedly optimistic of the direction the franchise will go in under Iger and Kushner as the analytics-based style of Walter, and the Dodgers impact on the Lakers overall, rubbed some the wrong way, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:

Still, multiple sources in different departments expressed optimism about the direction of the franchise under Iger and Kushner. Some felt the Dodgers’ impact on the Lakers was pushing too hard toward analytics and doing so with an arrogance that turned off some people in basketball operations and the locker room. Those people weren’t upset to see a pathway for new management to come in, even if it’s a bit of a mystery and doesn’t have the track record of the Dodgers’ success.

Largely, it’s left Lakers employees unmoved. The last year-plus has been chaotic, full of philosophical change, new coworkers and procedures. The shock from the previous sale was so fresh in their memories that another round of shocking phone alerts and text messages felt fairly familiar.

The fact that so many within the Lakers were unmoved at the recent sale because they were still dealing with the chaos and change from the first sale could be seen as both a positive and a negative. Because they’re used to it, the staff shouldn’t have much issue in continuing to handle business as usual despite the changes. However, a chaotic organization is not conducive to winning and that is not something everyone should be used to.

It is also interesting to hear that some were turned off by the Lakers pushing so hard to be like the Dodgers, though it is very feasible to imagine a bit of arrogance considering how successful the Dodgers have been under Walter. Regardless, the franchise will now move forward under the vision of Iger and Kushner once the sale is finalized and hopefully the Lakers will return to the great success this organization is known for.

Lon Rosen still ‘heavily involved’ with Lakers

One of the first major hires the Lakers made under Walter was bringing in Lon Rosen from the Dodgers to be the team’s new president and chief business officer. And despite the recent sale, Rosen is reportedly still heavily involved in the Lakers organization.

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Initially debuting in the 2023-24 season and then coming back again last year, the Lakers will once again be rocking their “City of Dreams” City Edition uniforms this season, per NBA Uniform Tracker:

The Los Angeles Lakers are bringing back their 2023-24/2025-26 "City Edition" for the upcoming season pic.twitter.com/9DcBOw7pIw

— NBA Uniform Tracker (@nbaunitracker) August 29, 2026

There is just something about the black Lakers uniforms that really make them stand out and these are no different. These uniforms, in particular, are meant to tell a story about where the Lakers came from and what they have become.

The black uniform signifies when they first arrived to Los Angeles from Minneapolis and not knowing who they were going to be. The triangle woodmark on the front of the jersey is a throwback to that time in the 1960s as the Lakers repped that style when led by Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

The numbers are the style that first debuted in 1999 when the Lakers were led by arguably the greatest duo of all-time in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The belt buckle of the shorts has the old “LAL” logo, which also is an acronym for “Leave A Legacy.” The Lakers chose this partial logo to put on the shorts in order to learn to embrace addition in change, not departure.

That is even more fitting considering all of the change surrounding the Lakers franchise from the very top with ownership down to a completely overturned roster that is built around superstar Luka Doncic and his backcourt partner Austin Reaves. This is a franchise that is entering a new era and these uniforms are all about evolution, something the Lakers are going through in a big way right now.

Nike teases new NBA uniforms coming this season

The Lakers’ City Edition uniforms join their standard gold, purple and white uniforms for this upcoming season, but there could be some other alternate jerseys as well. Nike, who makes all NBA uniforms, recently teased some potential new jerseys for this year with the tagline “Worn with Obsession” being prominent in the teaser.

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Now that Walter is selling the team to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner though, it was unclear what would happen to Rosen and some other employees that were recently brought in. Typically, new owners like to bring in their own people to run different departments. But according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Rosen has remained heavily involved with the organization despite the expected ownership change:

In the time since Bob Iger and Josh Kushner agreed to purchase control of the Lakers at a $12.5 billion valuation, not much has changed fundamentally inside the Lakers’ walls. Rosen, according to sources, is still heavily involved in meetings.

Walter still owns the Dodgers, so many expected him to bring Rosen back over to that organization instead of remaining involved with the Lakers. Once the sale to Iger and Kushner is finalized, it’s possible that still happens, but for now, Rosen is continuing on with his role running the Lakers’ business operations in addition to his responsibilities with the Dodgers.

The Lakers still have plans of expanding their front office, but given all of the current ownership drama, those hirings will likely come at a later time once everything is settled. For now, it appears to be business as usual for the organization.

Lon Rosen on Lakers’ partnership with BMO

Since Rosen took over, the Lakers have announced a handful of new partnerships and sponsors. One of those is BMO, who is now the official bank of the organization.

“Over decades, the Lakers have built passionate, generational fandom that starts in Los Angeles and extends everywhere, giving brands access to a star-studded platform of championships and glamour,” Rosen said in a statement. “Today, we are proud to extend that access to BMO with an extensive, high-value partnership that names BMO the exclusive official bank of the Los Angeles Lakers. Importantly, this landmark partnership signals a paradigm shift for how the Lakers will partner with brands moving forward, building and curating impactful programs to engage fans and serve shared businesses.”

Rosen did a great job of expanding the Dodgers’ brand in recent years and now appears to be doing the same thing with the Lakers, who unquestionably already had one of the biggest brands in all of sports.

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“Over decades, the Lakers have built passionate, generational fandom that starts in Los Angeles and extends everywhere, giving brands access to a star-studded platform of championships and glamour,” said Los Angeles Lakers President and Chief Business Officer Lon Rosen. “Today, we are proud to extend that access to BMO with an extensive, high-value partnership that names BMO the exclusive official bank of the Los Angeles Lakers. Importantly, this landmark partnership signals a paradigm shift for how the Lakers will partner with brands moving forward, building and curating impactful programs to engage fans and serve shared businesses.”

Welcome to the Purple & Gold, @BMO_US

Making it official, right down to the practice jersey. pic.twitter.com/DQQmDqWo5b

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 31, 2026

Starting with the upcoming NBA season, BMO will be part of Lakers experiences both on and off the court, with programs that connect fans, communities and the team throughout the year.

“The Lakers bring people together across generations and cultures, creating connections that mirror how we approach our business. Through this partnership, we’re excited to support the communities we serve, create memorable experiences for fans, and help more clients make real financial progress,” said President, BMO U.S. Aron Levine. “Southern California is an important growth market for BMO, and this partnership reflects our long-term investment in the region and the opportunities ahead.”

As part of this partnership, Lakers Training Camp will be presented by BMO with their logo featured on the team’s newly designed practice jerseys. Additionally, the Lakers are unveiling a new premium gameday experience with Courtside Reserve floor seats and a club on the event level being named after BMO.

The Lakers and BMO will also introduce a new program honoring the legends who have made the Lakers one of the most decorated franchises in sports. The League of Stars program Presented by BMO will spotlight Lakers Legends throughout the season.

And finally, BMO and the Lakers will partner on financial empowerment and small business spotlight programs, engaging the community across Southern California.

When does Lakers training camp start?

The start of Lakers training camp is just around the corner as NBA Media Day is set for Monday, Sept. 28. Practices will begin the following day with L.A. opening up its preseason slate on Oct. 5.

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